Nut wrench



NOV. 25:

O. J. JOHNSON NUT WRENCH Filed Jan. 4. 1924 aidkmsom Patented Nov. 25, 1924.

iHTE STATES OSCAR J. JOHNSON, OF CLOQUETT, MINNESOTA.

NUT WRENCH.

Application filed January 4, 1924. Serial No. 684,401.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OSCAR J. JoHNsoN,

a citizen of Sweden, residing at (lloquett,

in the county of Carlton and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut IVrenches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a nut wrench,

and particularly to a construction in which the movable jaw is provided with a pinion adapted to be locked in its engagement with the rack face upon the handle member.

In previous constructions of this type the locking member comprises an extended lever which forms an objectionable obstruction in handling the tool, and this lever is ordinarily held in locked position by means engaging the handle of the tool. It is particularly desirable to leave this handle member free for operation in the usual manner and to dispose the locking means for the movable jaw upon the sliding member carrying the same so that this member may be adjusted into position and locked by a hand of the operator grasping the handle.

The invention has for an object to provide a novel and improved construction comprising a sliding jaw member carrying a pinion and toothed locking lever therefor, together with a bail pivoted upon the jaw member to engage said lever when in lock ing position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new construction of sliding jaw member formed with a pivoted locking lever having at one end an inner toothed face and at its opposite end a thumb piece, with an intermediate locking shoulder upon its outer face to cooperate with a pivoted bail upon the carrier for the movable jaw.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter set forth. and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevation of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan; and

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawing.

The tool may be formed of any desired material and size and in ithe form herein shown the rigid jaw 10 is carried by the handle member 11 which is provided upon one face with a toothed rack 12. These teeth for instance by means of an inset portion at 18 interlocking with the housing and secured thereto by bolts or rivets 19.

Cooperating with the pinion 1 1 is a locking lever 20 pivoted at one end upon the cross-pin 21 mounted in the housing 16 and provided intermediate its ends with an inner toothed face 22, the teeth thereof being substantially V-shaped to interlock with those of the rack. The free end of this lever is formed with a thumb piece 23 and intermediate of its ends a locking shoulder 24 is provided which cooperates with a loop or bail 25 having a horizontal cross bar 30 adapted to seat upon the flat face of this shoulder as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. This bail is pivotally mounted in the housing by means of the cross-pin 26 and this pin forms a bearing for a fiat retaining spring 27 which extends from the pin and beneath a cooperating cross pin 28 so as to provide a downward tension against the rack teeth which supports the extended end of the housing and also holds the sliding jaw frictionally in adjusted position while permitting its free movement under stress. The free end 29 of this spring is extended beyond the cross pin 28 so as to secure the most efficient bearing surface upon the teethv 12 of the handle member.

In the operation of the wrench the sliding jaw is adapted to be freely adjusted when the locking bail is removed from its seat, as indicated by the full lines in Figure 3, so that the locking lever is free to move away from the pinion. Even if this lever rests in contact with the pinion a move ment of the sliding jaw toward the fixed jaw may be accomplished the formation of the en aging teeth effects a cannning action upon the lever which releases the same while a reverse movement to separate the jaws is prevented as the tendency is to draw the lever downward to its position shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3. When in the latter position the thumb of the operator may be applied to the lever to secure proper locking contact and the bail swung upon the annular seat of the lever so as to positive y secure the same against movement leaving the handle of the tool entirely free for operation in the usual manner.

This construct-ion permits the locking of the sliding jaw by the use of one hand of the operator and entirely avoids the use of double handles which form a serious ob struction in the ordinary use of a wrench. A spring contact between the housing of the sliding aw and the rack teeth of the handle supports this jaw in proper posit-ion against oscillation and also retains it frictionally in any of its adjusted positions until it is locked therein. The construction presents a wrench embodying strength and quick or ready adjustment which is economical to 'manufacture, avoids the use of projecting parts, and is very efficient in operation.

til

WVhile the specific construction of the sliding jaw member has beenshown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as, changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit of the in vention as defined by the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a. nut wrench, a fixed jaw provided with a handle member having a rack face, a sliding jaw provided with a housing mounted upon said handle member, a pin,- ion pivoted upon the housing toucons-tantly engage said rack, a locking lever pivotedin the housing independent. of the pinion and Pl'OVIClQCli. with an inner toothed face to engage said pinion and a retaining seat upon its outer face, and a locking bail pivoted upon the housing to engage said seat upon the lover when in engagement with said pinion.

2 In a nut wrench, afixed jaw providedwith a handle member having a rackface, a sliding j aw provided with a housing mount-- ed upon said, handle member, a pinion carried by saidj housing and engagingsaid rack,

a locking lever pivoted in said housing and provided with a shoulder intermediate its ends and a toothed face to engage said pin ion, a locking bail mounted upon the housing to embrace and seat upon said lever, and a tension spring independent of the lever and supported by said housing parallel to the rack face of the handle to frictionally engage the same.

8. In a nut wrench, a fixed jaw provided with a handle member having a rack face, a sliding jaw provided with a housing mounted upon said handle member, a pinion carried. by said housing and engaging said rack, alocking lever pivoted in said housing and provided with a shoulder intermediate its ends and a toothed face to engage said pinion, a pivoted locking bail embracing said lever and provided with across-bar adapted to seat upon said shoulder, and a tension spring mounted upon the pivotof said locking bail and extended beneath a cross-bar ofthe housing to lie in frictional engagement with the rack of the. handle member.

at. In a nut wrench, a handle member provided with a fixed jaw and a rack face, a sliding jaw carried by a housing surrounding said handle, a pinion mounted in said housing and engaging said rack, a lockinglever pivoted in saidhousing at one side of said pinion with a locking shoulder at the opposite side thereof and provided upon its inner face with. rack teeth to engage said pinion and-with a thumb piece at the outer end of said housing, and a locking bail pivoted upon the housing to swing toward and from said pinion and provided with a. horizontal crossebar adapted to seat upon saidshoulder when thelever is in looking relation with the pinion.

In testimony whereofv I aflix my signature. V Y

OSCAR J. JOHNSON. 

